The magazine safety is an effective safety mechanism for self-loading magazine-fed firearms such as semi-automatic pistols, machine pistols and machine guns. Magazine safeties operate by various different means, but all act to prevent discharge of the firearm when a magazine is not present in the magazine well. However, a disadvantage suffered by many magazine safeties is the need to dry fire the firearm in order to disassemble it for cleaning. For example, this disadvantage affects “hammerless” pistols which use a striker and sear firing mechanism. Dry firing is necessary to clear the sear from engagement with the striker to allow the slide, in which the striker is mounted, to be slid off of the frame of the pistol for take-down. The need to dry fire the pistol presents an additional risk, as anytime the firing mechanism is exercised there is the potential that, through carelessness, an unnoticed chambered round can be inadvertently discharged. There is clearly a need for a safety mechanism which eliminates this additional risk.